


Join me

by GoForGoals



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Comics), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotions, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2020-06-27 11:00:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19789504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/pseuds/GoForGoals
Summary: Thor finds a clever way to see Loki on a regular basis: He lets him solve riddles to meet him. As they travel the world, they also start to walk a common path.





	1. Where everything ends and everything begins.

**Author's Note:**

> Dear readers, the idea for this story crossed my mind and refused to let me go until I started writing it. I really hope that you will enjoy their travels - feedback is precious and my fuel to go on. Thank you to all of you who encourage me!

Loki receives Thor’s letter while he is in Las Vegas.

He owns a flat there, one of many properties he occupies in Midgard. Whenever Loki is in a gambling mood, he comes to Vegas, watching - and secretly manipulating - the players there. He has evil fun witnessing how the mortals win and how they lose their money, and more often the latter.

He sits in his living room, a glass of whisky in his hand, when Thor’s message manifests right in front of him. Loki raises his eyebrows, wondering briefly how Thor got the skills to work such magic. Probably with Frigga’s help.

Loki recognizes Thor’s handwriting immediately. The messy style, the edgy letters. Besides, he can feel that Thor is the sender, even before he has read a single line. It’s as if Thor’s arrogance and his overwhelming physical presence ooze through the heavy paper.  
  
Quickly, Loki’s eyes travel over the sheet.

_Dear brother,_

Loki snorts when he reads that form of address, as if they would still be brothers after all.

 _I know that you don’t want to meet me, not when I am simply asking you._  
  
Loki grins. At least _that_ Thor understood.

_But I have a challenge for you._

The tingling sensation inside Loki tells him that Thor found his weak spot and he immediately hates himself for it.

_I’ll wait for you at a place somewhere in Midgard. I only give you three hints to find it. I will be there in 24 hours from now on. Are you able to solve my riddle?_

Loki clenches his fists. There, Thor got him. He feels a wave of anger rushing through him. Of course he would solve Thor’s riddle, dumb as it is going to be. But what should he do then? Should he show up at that place to prove to Thor that he is cleverer than him - again? Or should he stay away from him, which would probably be for the better. He really doesn’t want to meet Thor but he also doesn’t want to give him the triumph of not unraveling his so-called mystery.

Undecidedly, Loki continues to read the hints.

_Where everything ends and everything begins._

_Here, Zero is the most important number._

_I’ll wait for you where the green light flashes._

Loki sighs and shakes his head in disappointment. Just as expected, he not even needed a second to solve Thor’s riddle.

"Where everything ends and everything begins" - Thor loves Midgard, Loki knows that quite well. And that certain place is crucial for the mortals.

"Here, Zero is the most important number." It’s the zero meridian in Great Britain.

"I’ll wait for you where the green light flashes." The exact place Thor mentioned is the Observatory in Greenwich, where a green laser marks the zero meridian.  
  
Loki gazes at his watch. It’s 4 pm and he still has 23 hours and 58 minutes left to meet Thor - or to bring as much distance between them as possible.

***

In the end, Loki doesn’t really know why he teleports himself to his house in London. He’s probably bored, trying to find some distraction in mocking Thor. He’s aware which strings he has to pull to push Thor into every direction he wants him to be. Maybe this little game is even going to be fun.

Loki’s house in London is big and secluded, and he loves being there. The English weather is just what he needs, there’s never too much sun, never too much warmth outside.

He strolls through his garden, checking on the plants there, especially the roses. He grows them since several years now. And he likes their thorns even more than their blossoms. Although he has to admit that he adores the red roses, their color looking like blood.

Loki gazes at his watch again. He still has almost two hours to travel to Greenwich. Casually, he returns to his well-furnished house, entering his bedroom with the walk-in closet. There, he decides for a black suit and a black shirt that accentuates his pale skin.

Content with himself, Loki takes a look in the mirror, brushing some black strands out of his forehead. He’s in a great mood today, London always has that effect on him. Thor probably isn’t going to be happy about his teasing, but that is nothing Loki would even care about. Thor called for him and therefore he has to take everything Loki gives him, it’s as simple as that.

***

Thor arrives early in Greenwich, of course he does. Loki watches him for long minutes in amusement, hidden from the gazes of everybody else through his magic. Thor walks up and down a small path, clearly nervous. Loki can literally read his thoughts. _Was my riddle too complicated? Does he even want to meet me? What if he doesn’t show up?_

For the third time, Thor turns directions, blond hair loosely framing his face. Through a short moment, Loki feels the urge to touch that strand of hair, but he shakes the thought away quickly. He’s not here for sentimental reasons.

Finally, Loki closes his eyes and manifests himself right behind Thor, whispering "boo!" into his ear. He chuckles when Thor flinches and turns around. If he’s angry that Loki surprised him, he doesn’t let show it.

"Brother!" Thor exclaims and Loki screws up his face to show him that he is not pleased with that fond address. Thor doesn’t care however, tugging Loki into a tight embrace. "I knew that you would be here!" Thor adds while Loki rolls his eyes.

"Of course I am. Your riddle was ridiculous, to say the least. I would have done better," Loki says.

Thor smiles at him broadly. "That’s great," he states, "because it is your time to give me a riddle."

Loki swallows annoyed because he didn’t see this coming. "You would never be able to solve my riddles," he teases his brother.

"I’ll prove you wrong," Thor simply replies and Loki doesn’t know if he should hate or admire him for his unshakable self-confidence.

***

Without asking, Thor marches into the direction of the Observatory. "Did you ever visit this place?" he asks Loki, as if they were some kind of tourists.

"I solved your riddle, I can leave now," Loki replies sternly.

"Oh no," Thor returns, "the rules are different."

Fresh rage surges through Loki. "Since when are you making the rules? Oh, I forgot, you are the ruler of the family. I’m terribly sorry but…"

"Would you for once listen to me?" Thor asks, strengthening his shoulders. He is still as muscular as ever, Loki realizes before he has to look away. "Let’s make a deal," Thor hastily continues before Loki could interrupt him. "We’ll send each other riddles and when the receiver can solve it, we spend the day together."

"For how many hours?" Loki retorts, much to his own surprise.

"Twelve," Thor suggests with a huge grin.

"Six at most!" Loki gives back, his tongue quicker than his mind.

"Done deal," Thor states, apparently deeply satisfied.

Loki sighs, angry about himself and the entire situation. "Fine then," he hisses, "you have five hours left today."

***

Thor takes Loki to London after they visited the Observatory. Loki doesn’t give away a single hint that he knows England’s capital better than Thor, that he lives here most of the time. He doesn’t talk very much at all, he just walks behind Thor while he guides him to Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, the river Thames.

One hour before their appointment would finally end, Loki has enough. "I’m not a damn sightseer," he says dangerously quiet. "If you want to experience London as it really is, I’ll take you to another place."

Thor is clearly surprised, making big eyes at Loki. "You were here before?" he asks dumbstruck.

Loki bites on his tongue and simply nods. "Yes, I were."

He works some magic, a rather easy spell, and out of the blue, they are in the Docklands, in a pub tourists seldom find. Loki visits that pub whenever he has to flee all the trickery around, all the lies. When he needs some honesty because he is tired. Tired of everything and most of all, tired of life.

"Oh… wow," Thor stammers, probably more impressed by Loki’s teleporting skills than by their surrounding, when he finds himself sitting on a wooden stool in the pub.

Loki orders two pints of beer, but he doesn’t drink from his, leaving it to Thor to finish for both of them. He doesn’t want to get Thor drunk in the first place, he just cannot stand his cheerful mood any longer. Not with him feeling a familiar sadness creeping into his every bone.

The second Thor empties his beer, taking the last sip and wiping away a droplet from his soft, soft mouth, Loki closes his eyes and whispers another magic formula in a desperate tone.

A moment later, he is gone.


	2. It’s a lie.

Thor is aware that it’s a huge success that Loki agreed to his little game. But a part of him cannot help and feel sad when his brother is gone, leaving the pub straight after six hours and disappearing to nowhere.

He misses Loki dearly.

He misses the Loki his brother was when they still lived together in Asgard, not knowing that they aren’t related by blood.

Thor orders another pint of beer, dwelling in his memories. Thinking of the long days he spent with Loki, all their brotherly teasing and the fun they shared together. Thor gulps down his beer in large sips, suddenly wanting to escape from this place. He cannot bear the emptiness that Loki left behind. After he paid the bill - something he had to learn first in Midgard - he walks outside and searches for a hidden place. Then, he swings Mjolnir and darts into the air, trying to fill the gap in his heart by flying high, but to no avail.

***

After four weeks, Thor is almost sure that Loki doesn’t want to continue their riddles. It’s his turn after all and he hasn’t contacted Thor so far. Thor tells himself over and over again that it was worth the try, but his sadness and disappointment grow bigger every day.

One early morning, after another sleepless night in his bed in New Asgard, Thor steps under the shower. He lets the warm water run over his muscles, tight from all of his fights. Stepping outside of the shower cubicle, he grabs a towel and dries himself off, wrapping the cloth loosely around his hips afterwards.

Just when he looks in the mirror to see his harmed face, letters form themselves on the reflecting surface, as if someone would draw them with their finger. Thor inhales a sharp and surprised breath, wondering briefly if Loki can see him like this, because he is absolutely sure that his brother is sending him a message.

Excitedly and with a beating heart, Thor reads the letters in front of him.

_It’s a lie._

_Two fighting for dominance._

_Meet me where Bardi found a home._

Thor memorizes the words in the damp heat of his bathroom, afraid that they would vanish before he knows them by heart.

"It’s a lie". Of course, Loki is the God of Mischief and Lies, so Thor isn’t surprised about that first line at all. But the hint is too general, he has to find out about the other two clues first.

"Two fighting for dominance". Thor finds himself painfully reminded of Loki’s and his fights, and that is probably what Loki intended. Could it be Ireland? Or South and North Korea? He doesn’t have the slightest idea.

In frustration, Thor reads the third hint again. "Meet me where Bardi found a home." Bardi is the Northern God of Poetry. For a short moment, Thor closes his eyes, getting aware of Loki’s vulnerability. His brother always liked literature, poems and arts, but he had a hard time in Asgard with his preferences, among all the warriors there.

Bardi… Maybe there is a statue of the God somewhere in Midgard? Thor knows that he is probably cheating, but he so wants to see Loki again that he takes his computer and uses what the mortals call "the internet". He still hasn’t any idea how that works, but he types "Bardi" and "monument" into the weird thing named "browser". Yet, he doesn’t get a proper result. Bardi is a town in Italy that has nothing to do with "two fighting for dominance." Thor groans, checking more combinations. "Bardi" and "sightseeing". "Bardi" and "Norse God", but he only finds out what he knew anyway.

The longer Thor thinks and tries, the more desperate he gets. He has only 24 hours - well, 23 right now - to solve the riddle and to meet Loki, something that he wants with all of his heart.

Thor walks back into the bathroom, still just dressed in his towel, and gasps in surprise. There’s another hint on the mirror now. "Hasta luego!" he reads, and that is definitely Spanish, meaning "see you soon." So Loki wants to meet him in Spain? No, that would be too easy. Thor muses for more long minutes before the penny finally drops: Loki is probably talking about a country in South America where Spanish is the first language!

Hastily, Thor opens a map of the continent on his computer, running through the countries. Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia. Argentina, Uruguay. Nothing pops up in his mind as his eyes travel to the South. Chile. Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego… Something rings in Thor’s brain and he tries to translate the meaning. "Land of Fire", it says, but there’s no fire anywhere near in that cold part of the Earth, not even warmth.

"That’s it!" Thor exclaims aloud, "that’s what he meant with: ‚It’s a lie!‘". Thor opens a page about Tierra del Fuego, finding a paragraph of two towns fighting over the recognition as the "World’s most Southern city". Thor laughs, finally typing "Tierra del Fuego" and "Bardi" into his browser. He learns that "Bardi" is the former name of a ship in Puerto Williams, a small town in Chile. Today, "Bardi" is known as "Micaldi", and the ship hosts a bar.

Thor claps his hands in satisfaction. "Chile is it, then," he states happily and very proud of himself. Yet, he banishes the thought that he probably would never been able to solve that riddle without Loki’s fourth hint that came so out of the blue.

***

"I’m here, brother!" Thor shouts when he lands a few steps away from the ship, just in time before the 24 hours are over. Loki however is nowhere to be seen.

Thor glances around insecurely. He feels a strange pull inside and walks to the small harbor nearby, and to a rather modern cruising yacht, but there are absolutely no people around. Thor chews on his lips, turning around. Still, he cannot see a living soul.

Carefully, Thor glimpses at the yacht again, his eyes widening.

Loki stands on board of that ship now, his dark pants and the blue shirt a sharp contrast to the white yacht.

"Here you are!" Thor exclaims in relief, a lump forming in his throat. Loki looks so beautiful, the wind toying with his hair. On the contrary to Thor, Loki doesn’t need to wear a coat, even though it is cold outside. That’s because of his frost giant heritage, Thor understands.

Trying to play it cool, Thor jumps on board of the yacht. "Didn’t think you would find me," Loki finally states. He doesn’t mention the fourth hint either and Thor would be a fool to bring that topic up.

"Took me quite a while," he says instead. "Nice yacht," he adds to keep the conversation going. "Is that yours?"

"Maybe," Loki shrugs. Thor hears that he doesn’t want to give away anything about his private life and he leaves it like that - for the moment.

"Do you want to go on a boat trip with me?" Thor asks, "I would love to do that."

"Oh, would you?" Loki mocks him with a mischievous smile.

Thor doesn’t like the tone in Loki’s voice but he nods nevertheless.

"Then you better take a seat," Loki states, going over to the steering wheel.

Thor finds a comfortable place in the back of the yacht, looking at Loki who maneuvers the boat with skill to the open sea. There, he speeds the yacht up, cold wind creeping through Thor’s clothes.

Loki accelerates the yacht more and more, water drops flying into Thor’s face. "This is quite fast!" Thor yells against the airstream.

His brother just laughs and speeds the boat up even further. Thor can sense that it literally jumps on the water now, and he starts to get frightened. "Loki, could you please slow down?" he dares to ask.

Loki however takes that question as an invitation to increase the speed to its absolute limit. Thor can hardly see anything any longer and he wonders how Loki is even able to steer the yacht. "Damn it, Loki, stop the boat!" Thor demands, slight panic in his voice.

As an answer, Loki starts to laugh, clearly enjoying the situation. "I won’t," he simply replies, turning around to face his brother. "Are you scared?"

"No! Thor tries to pretend, earning a frown from Loki. As usual, he doesn’t want to be weak in front of his brother.

"Alright then," Loki says, doing nothing to change the speed. The yacht hobbles over the surface of the water now. Thor can see a coastline in front of them coming dangerously close. "Stop it, Loki," he shouts, "yes, yes, I am scared! Please slow down, I can’t take this pace any longer!"

Loki immediately stops the boat until it is swinging back and forth with the waves. "See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?" he murmurs.

Thor however is close to freaking out. "What did you just do?" he shouts, shivering not only from the cold, but also from his fear and his rage. "What did you want to prove to me?"

Anger crawls over Loki’s face. "I didn’t want to prove anything to you!" he hisses. "For once, I simply wanted you to be honest with me."

Thor swallows and shakes his head, suddenly feeling completely exhausted. "I’m always trying to be honest with you, Loki. And if I wasn’t honest with you in the past, I apologize."

Loki trembles as well, but he nods.

"Now would you please bring me back to the harbor?" Thor begs. "I’m tired of games tonight."

Loki takes the steering wheel again. He doesn’t look Thor in the eyes when he answers him. "I’m tired of games at all."

***

Thor carefully climbs from the yacht when they are back in the harbor, making sure that he doesn’t stumble. The inner turmoil he faces is enough, he doesn’t want to injure himself on top of it.

Loki on the other hand makes no move to get out of the yacht.

"We still have some hours left," Thor says, "and although I am really mixed up, I want to spend these hours with you." He makes a pause. "Besides, _that_ was completely honest."

He can sense that Loki fights with himself and that he eventually gives in. "You can come back on board of the yacht, we won’t sail again. We can have a light meal in the main cabin."

Thor is stunned that Loki apparently has prepared food for them, but most likely he will just conjure a dinner up. Not that Thor would care, hungry as he is.

"Alright," he agrees, climbing back on board of the ship, "I trust you." He stresses the last words, well-knowing that he is addressing another sore spot in their relationship. Loki wants Thor to be honest with him, and Thor wants to be able to trust Loki.

To his surprise, the table is already set when they enter the main cabin of the yacht. There’s even an expensive looking red wine. Thor takes a seat opposite to Loki who raises his filled glass. "Cheers," Loki says, clicking glasses with Thor.

"Cheers, brother," Thor replies.

Miraculously, food appears on Thor’s plate, a deliciously smelling steak with mashed potatoes. "Thank you," Thor murmurs, eating with great appetite. Loki on the contrary merely takes a bite, just watching Thor with an unreadable face.

The meal is doing Thor good, and he feels confident enough to try to start a serious talk with his brother. "Loki, I miss you," he begins, "and I want to be as close to you as we were in the past."

Loki screws up his face, as if he was in pain. He throws his fork away and pierces Thor with his gaze.

"What?" Thor munches between two bites, "did I say something wrong? You wanted me to be honest with you and that’s the plain truth."

Loki flinches, grinding his jaw.

"Please, Loki, we have to find a way to make this work". Thor now puts his cutlery aside as well, watching how Loki stands up and spins around, turning his back to his brother.

"Your time is over, Thor," Loki whispers.

He trembles and Thor gets up in the helpless attempt to do anything to console his brother. He doesn’t come far though. "Don’t you dare," Loki adds tonelessly. "Just leave. Please, Thor. Just leave."


	3. I’m not playing a role.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, please enjoy the next chapter (again from Thor’s perspective) - feedback is love! <3

Thor needs several days to recover from seeing Loki in Chile. He’s confused to say the least, although he has a fair clue why Loki sent him away. It was too much for him to take as well.

Thor tries to distract himself with work, fighting his enemies - and his inner demons. In fact, he thinks about Loki almost every minute he’s awake. Yet, he also knows that his brother needs time until they can meet again. Too many feelings come to the surface when they see each other.

In the meantime, Thor tries to find a new destination for their next date. He wants to do everything right so badly, showing Loki that he understands him and that he is honest with him.

Between two combats, Thor finally has the idea that seems to be right for him - and hopefully for Loki too.

***

Thor writes the note with great care, using his fountain pen. The large pen looks incredibly small in his big hand, but he makes an effort to write as beautifully as he is able to.

_I’m not playing a role._

_But others do at the most famous place._

_The Comedy of Errors._

He’s very sure that Loki will decipher his hints in record time but he doesn’t mind. This isn’t a real game about solving riddles any longer, but a way for them to meet on a regular basis. Thor manages to send his letter to Loki before he travels to New York himself. To New York - and to Broadway.

***

Thor feels slightly uncomfortable in a suit, but he wants to look good and presentable tonight, watching a play for the very first time. He waits in front of the theater that is showing "The Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare.

Although Loki never talked much about it, Thor remembered that he likes Shakespeare. And he wants to prove to him that he is interested in Loki and his preferences, that he wants to learn more about his world.

Nervously, Thor paces up and down in front of the theater, hoping that Loki isn’t going to mock him because of his rather blatant attempt to find something that he cherishes.

This time, Thor doesn’t notice how Loki manifests himself, he just sees him walking out of a crowd, and his heartbeat immediately paces up. As usual, Loki looks simply gorgeous. He wears a blue suit that accentuates the color of his eyes, and he even shows the hint of a smile.

Thor is ridiculously happy to see him. "Brother," he says, voice hoarse, when he greets him, aware that Loki measures Thor with his gaze.

"Very well," Loki says, pointing at Thor’s suit, "I didn’t think that you would dress up."

"I did it for you," Thor admits sheepishly, fumbling with his tie.

Loki laughs. "I bet you did it for yourself as well," he states, "come on, I want to have a look inside."

Thor bought the best tickets for them and Loki whistles when he enters the theater. "That’s impressing," he admires the architecture, "thank you for inviting me here."

Smiling like the Cheshire’s cat, Thor takes his seat right next to Loki. The closeness is enticing, especially because their legs are touching.

"Did you read 'The Comedy of Errors'?" Loki asks Thor.

"No," Thor admits, "I wanted to take pot-luck."

Loki nods. "I think that you will like it." He pauses. "Especially because it ends well." He glimpses at Thor, a slight hint of hope in his gaze. Then, the lights go dark and the actors enter the stage.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Thor likes the play from the first minute, although he often glances more at Loki than at the stage in front of him. He notices with satisfaction that his brother is probably enjoying himself, eyes banned to the scenery. Loki laughs at all the right parts, he frowns when the plot becomes more serious and he claps his hands whenever he has the chance to do so.

It is during one of the applauses after an especially great scene when Loki rests his left hand not in his own lap, but places it casually on Thor’s thigh.

Thor holds his breath, excited and slightly aroused at the same time. He pretends not to notice the contact at first, but eventually takes a heart and places his own hand over Loki’s.

Loki doesn’t make any other move or sound, eyes glued to the actors, as if nothing is happening between himself and Thor. His hand however feels soft and gentle, resting firmly upon Thor’s leg. Loki's palm is a comfortable weight on Thor’s muscle, grounding him. Filling his heart with emotions.

Almost frustrated, Thor sighs when the play is over and when Loki moves his hand away to applaud the actors.

"That was amazing," Thor whispers, talking about the play and about Loki’s sign of affection all in one.

"Yes," Loki says, eyes glistening with mischief. "And now I want to have a drink."

"Only one?" Thor grins. "I’ll invite you to the theater café."

"Fine!" Loki replies, walking straight into the direction of the café.

It dawns on Thor that Loki was there before, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t want to ruin neither the moment nor Loki’s mood.

The café is rather a bar and Loki orders two cocktails for them, a greenish one for himself and a shimmering red liquor for Thor. They click glasses and when Thor gets slightly dizzy, it’s probably because of Loki’s intense gaze.

In time, more and more people fill the café and suddenly, an actor enters the room. "He played one of the twins!" Loki exclaims. "Wait, I’ll have to tell him how much I liked his performance."

No sooner said than done, Loki walks over to the actor, immediately engaged in a vivid conversation. Thor watches his brother and the actor from the distance, getting more and more uncomfortable. Both of them laugh and suddenly, the actor places his hand on Loki’s shoulder.

An unknown emotion surges through Thor, he feels unsettled, a strange flutter pooling in his stomach. Thor gulps down his drink and orders another one, but he doesn’t feel better after taking more sips from the second cocktail.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, Loki returns to him. He frowns when he sees Thor. "Are you alright?" Loki asks, gazing at the empty glass right next to Thor.

Thor shrugs. "I don’t know," he replies, "maybe we should change the location."

"Hey, I like it here!" Loki objects.

Thor darts the actor a long look. "Of course you do," he snorts.

Slowly, a huge grin forms on Loki’s face and he starts to chuckle, sounding pleased.

"What!" Thor says, sulking.

Loki doesn’t stop to snicker, but he moves closer to Thor, until he can whisper something into his ear. "Thor Odinson," Loki starts in a seductive tone that sets Thor on fire instantly, "are you jealous?"

"No, I am not!" Thor denies, feigning indignation.

"I thought so," Loki winks at him, "then let me introduce you to my new friend."

***

The next hour is pure torture for Thor. He fumes with an emotion that of course is jealousy at its best, while Loki talks with the admittedly handsome actor about the play and about Shakespeare in general.

Thor is relieved when Loki takes a look at his watch. "I’m sorry, I’ll have to leave now," he regrets, much to Thor’s joy who wants nothing more than being alone with Loki.

And so he watches in shock that Loki says goodbye to the actor - and to Thor as well. "Brother, I’ll call you," he states, brushing over Thor’s arm as if by accident. His mouth hanging open, Thor sees Loki walking away with secure steps, not turning around. The door of the bar closes with a dull plop behind Loki, causing the most horrible sound Thor heard in a long while.


	4. I cannot meet you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, this update took a while longer, thank you for your patience! I have more time to write in the upcoming weeks. Feedback would be precious!

Loki enjoyed their evening at Broadway more than he should have. Days after, he still feels Thor’s strong thigh, senses the heat of his muscles underneath his fingertips.

It was hard to leave his brother behind just another time but Loki had to leave for his own sake and for teaching Thor a lesson.

Of course his brother was jealous of the actor, Loki felt that after some minutes.  
  
And of course Thor didn’t admit it, not being honest with Loki. Again.

Loki sighs, trying to prepare the hints for the next riddle when he feels an unfamiliar stab inside his belly. He groans and holds his stomach, feeling another surge of pain that comes out of nowhere.

The ache fades quickly but Loki cannot forget it. Something happened, his magical skills are just not good enough to detect what it was. Concerned, Loki tries to find hints that aren’t easy to decipher but not too difficult either, so that Thor will be able to understand them.

Loki really wants to see Thor as soon as possible, and his desire is something that scares the hell out of him. And so he waits and waits, not sending his hints to Thor, telling himself that his longing is something he can deal with. Loki is well aware that he isn’t honest to himself either but he prolongs his message for Thor day after day - until he receives a note from Thor instead.  
  
 _I cannot meet you._

Loki’s heart sinks into his boots and his eyes travel over the sheet he found on his table.

_I’m severely injured._  
  
A hiss escapes Loki and suddenly he understands why he felt that pain deep inside several days ago.

_As soon as my wounds are healed, I’ll send you another message._

Against their habits, Thor added a fourth sentence.

_I miss you._

Loki puts the sheet away with trembling hands. He could sense Thor’s ache through the paper. "I’m severely injured." Loki knows that this is still an understatement and that Thor is probably fighting for his life. Angrily, he crumples the paper up and tosses it to the side, walking into his garden.

He has to make a decision. Deep in his thoughts, Loki smells the scent of his roses, cutting a particular beautiful blossom and twisting it in his hands.

Loki never wanted to return to New Asgard, he never wanted to meet any of the people there ever again. But there’s Thor and he’s clearly suffering.

With firm steps, Loki walks back into his house and to his shelf, tugging a book with healing spells out. Then, he closes his eyes and teleports himself to Asgard.  
  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Loki can hear Thor’s pained groans before he can even see him. Every whimper pierces his bones to the marrow. He braces himself and enters the simple wooden cottage, not dissimilar to the one he wanted to take Thor to during one of their next appointments.

The look he gains at Thor is worse than he expected. Thor is lying in his bed, chest bare, nasty wounds all over. He has his eyes closed and doesn’t detect Loki at first, trying to find a way to deal with his pain. Loki wonders how Thor was even able to send him a message as he takes the first step closer.

"Thor." He whispers the name much quieter that he intended but Thor hears him nevertheless, his eyes flying open.

"Loki!" Thor croaks out, trying to smile but screwing up his face instead. "Are you really here or are you an illusion?" Thor pants heavily after the question, looking at Loki with utter hope.

"I’m here," Loki states, bridging the distance between himself and Thor. "And because you can’t throw anything at me right now, I’ll prove to you that it’s really me." Carefully, he takes Thor’s hand and presses it.

"I can’t believe that you came," Thor pants, clinging to Loki’s hand. "And you smell of roses," he adds in the attempt to downplay his injuries.

"You sent me three hints, didn’t you?" Loki replies. "Well, four, to be precise. So here I am, I solved your riddle." There’s a pause between them until Loki continues. "What happened?" he asks, having a closer look at Thor’s body.

"Fought a beast," Thor shrugs, coughing afterwards. There’s a glass of water at a table nearby and Loki raises it to Thor’s lips before he takes his book.

"I brought a magic book with me", Loki doesn’t beat around the bush, feeling that Thor needs help as soon as possible. "I can try to cure you. If you let me, that is." He gazes at Thor.

"Yes. Please." Thor answers. "Anything you have to do. It hurts… so much."

Loki nods and puts his coat to the side. "May I?" he asks, pointing at the light blanket that is covering Thor. Gently, he folds it away. "I’m not a doctor but I’m trying to scan your injuries," he states before he touches Thor’s chest.

The skin contact sets every nerve in Loki’s body on fire. He has a hard time to focus on Thor’s injuries but eventually, his fingers wander over Thor’s muscles, causing him to hiss.

"I’m sorry", Loki mumbles, his fingers traveling down to Thor’s legs and back again to his arms. When he finishes his examination, both of them are breathless. "You broke almost every bone in your body," Loki says in disbelief.

"Who said that your task will be easy," Thor croaks out, biting on his lips to stifle his moans.

Loki looks at him, at his tortured body, praying inwardly that his magic spell would show the desired effect. "I’m trying to fix your bones and heal them," he explains, "but that’s not going to be fun."

"For whom?" Thor manages to say with a weak smile. "For you or for me?"

"You don’t have to play the brave one," Loki answers in a sudden wave of affection, "not for me." He looks at his hands, then at Thor. "Shall we start?"

Thor nods, clenching his teeth.

Softly, Loki places his hands on Thor’s collarbones, murmuring his spell. He can feel that Thor’s bones slip back into the right places underneath his fingers, accompanied by a hoarse groan. He repeats the move with Thor’s ribs, the groans getting louder, before he lets his hands rest at Thor’s hips, dangerously close to his private parts that are still covered by briefs. "Luckily you didn’t get injured there," Loki whispers, hastily placing his hands on Thor’s thighs afterwards. "Brace yourself," he orders before he heals Thor’s femur, the scream muffled by a pillow that Thor bites into.  
  
"You’re doing great," Loki encourages him, stroking over Thor’s already healing skin.

"No," Thor shakes his head, "you are. Your skills are… impressive."

Loki is astonished, he cannot remember the last time Thor gifted him with a compliment. He always rather laughed about his magic. Quickly, Loki cures Thor’s other leg before he sinks down on a stool completely worn out. "After a few days, you should be brand-new," he states, trying to forget about Thor’s piercing shouts of pain.

Thor fists the sheets, pale, but still with sparkling eyes. "Loki?" he asks, searching for Loki’s gaze, "thank you. Thank you for coming here and thank you for taking care of me."

Loki shrugs. "You’re welcome, but you should have a rest. As soon as you are good again, I’ll send you my riddle."

"Give me a hint now," Thor begs.

"Cheater," Loki winks at him, "but okay, I’ll reward your attempt to save the galaxy from yet another ‚beast‘, as you called it."

He stands up and takes Thor’s hand. "You’ll cling to me during our next meeting. That’s all I can say for now."


	5. Wine, wood, wilderness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, 
> 
> this update took quite a while, but the chapter is longer than planned - I hope that you like it! 
> 
> Feedback is always welcome!

Thor fell asleep some time after the treatment, still clinging to Loki’s hand. When he wakes up, Loki is gone, but a single red rose is standing on the table, the smell enticing.

Carefully, Thor stretches his limbs and checks if he can move them without evoking more pain. With relief he notices that he feels much better.

"You’ll cling to me during our next meeting." Thor wonders what that means and he cannot wait for the other hints.

But most of all he is still stunned and touched that Loki came to Asgard of all places to see to him. He closes his eyes and dreams of Loki in his well-tailored suit, of his long, elegant fingers and his fascinating eyes.

A few hours later, he manages to get up. His limbs are still stiff, but Thor is amazed how quickly he healed after Loki took care of him. Thor makes a few steps until he reaches the table where he takes the rose in his hands.

The flower is beautiful, just like Loki, Thor thinks. Thor muses why Loki left the rose behind, admiring its deep red color. Suddenly, Thor gets dizzy and he can hear a voice in his mind - Loki’s voice.

 _"I’m always with you, protecting you,"_ he hears, his heart missing a beat.

"Loki!" Thor says aloud, staring at the rose in his hand. The scent begins to lull him into a slumber and he stumbles back to his bed, taking another rest. He sleeps soundly, literally feeling how his body recovers.

Opening his eyes again, Thor realizes that he slept for almost a day. Someone brought him food and fresh clothes, a sign that the Asgardians are looking after him as well.

Thor walks to the bathroom and relieves himself, half expecting to see letters on the mirror there again. He stands in front of the washbasin longer than he has to, finally returning to his bed.

 _"It would be too early,"_ the rose seems to tell him. _"Be patient."_

Thor smiles, carefully stroking the blossom. "I will. I promise. As long as it takes."

***

It doesn’t take as long as Thor feared it would, however. Seven days after Loki’s visit, he finds the next hints, carved into the table the rose stands at.

_Wine, wood, wilderness._

_Three rocks and a king._

_You’ll still cling to me there._

"Wine, wood, wilderness." That doesn’t seem to be so difficult, Thor muses. The most famos wine regions are in France, Italy, South America and Germany. "Three rocks and a king", probably a castle that is built on rocks? Thor can’t decipher the third hint, but clinging to Loki sounds very promising to him.

He starts his computer, but the battery is empty after the long time he didn’t use it. Thor focusses and sends an electric spark to the device, happy like a kid when he succeeds. He’s the God of Thunder - and probably Lightning - for a reason. Satisfied, he opens the browser and types "three rocks" and "castle" into the search engine.

The first result is already a match. "Castle Trifels", he reads, immediately intrigued by the history of the Castle in the German Pfälzerwald, a huge forest. "Wilderness", Thor thinks, understanding that the area is also famous for its wines.

Richard the Lionheart spent some time on the Trifels, Thor continues, impressed by the huge castle that thrones on a rock which is fragmented into three pieces. He cannot wait to see Loki there, a tingling spirit of expectation capturing him.

Thor still doesn’t have a clue about the "clinging" hint. Does Loki want to do bungee jumping with him? He shivers by the pure thought, but he would probably do everything for him. Even letting himself fall from an enormous height.

Whistling, Thor gets ready for their next date - he doesn’t doubt that it is going to be a date anymore - preparing himself to travel to Germany.

***

The castle is even more impressive when Thor sees it the first time for real. The walls are thick and heavy, telling of a vivid past.

After climbing the steep way to the castle’s entrance, and the long time spent in bed, Thor is a bit out of breath when he reaches the inner courtyard. To his surprise, Loki is already there, casually sitting on a bench. As always, Thor’s throat becomes tight when he sees him in all of his glory.

"That wasn’t so hard to find, was it?" Loki greets him, smiling.  
  
"No, not at all," Thor admits. "But I still wonder what your third hint means."

"You’ll see in time," Loki states secretively. „First, let me check on you.“ He makes a gesture, inviting Thor to sit down next to him. Quickly, Loki’s hands dart over Thor’s body, from the shoulders to the arms, back to his chest and to his legs, leaving a tingling sensation behind. „Are you alright?“ Loki asks, frowning his eyebrows.

"I am. Brand-new, to be precise," Thor pretends.

Loki glances at him but eventually nods. "Let’s visit the castle, shall we?"

They walk around, entering the building, breathing in the scent of the ancients. "Richard Lionheart was captured here for three weeks," Loki tells, "before he was freed. The legend says, that his friend, the singer Blondel, was involved."

Thor nods. "I read about that."

"Oh you did?" Loki is clearly stunned.

"I also heard that they were probably more than just… friends." Thor gazes at Loki, his brother looking so young. Preferably, Thor wants to hug him, to hold him tight and to never let him go.  
  
"That’s true." Loki doesn’t say anything else. He looks into the open, over the scenery and the landscape, the small villages and the vineyards. "Time for our next adventure," he murmurs but Thor senses that Loki is somewhere else in his thoughts.

"I’ll follow you," Thor says and together, they descend from the Trifels, stopping at a parking lot nearby.

"Here we are," Loki announces but Thor cannot see anything, just cars, motorbikes and bicycles.

With a mischievous grin, Loki points at a motorbike, all black steel and chrome. "That’s mine," he says.

"You can drive a motorbike?!" Thor exclaims, touching the cold metal in awe.

"Yes. And I’ll show you." Loki hands Thor a helmet that comes out of nowhere and takes a seat, pointing at the place behind him. "Cling to me, Thor," he says and finally, Thor understands the third hint.

***

At first, Thor is hesitant. He doesn’t dare to wrap his arms firmly around Loki’s waist. Holding him is overwhelming, even though the heavy leather of Loki’s jacket is still separating them.

„Tighter", Thor hears Loki’s voice, coming from somewhere to his ears, carried by the wind. Thor inhales a deep breath and bridges the last gap between himself and Loki, his chest close to Loki’s back now. „That’s better,“ Loki says and starts the engine. The loud roar of the motorbike occupies Thor’s senses, he can smell the oil - and he can feel the vibration underneath his groin.

Carefully, Loki lets the motorbike roll down the small street. Thor gasps for air. He never sat on a motorbike before and he instinctively clings closer to Loki, pressing himself to Loki’s body. "Don’t be afraid," the wind whispers, "just trust me."

Loki reaches a broader street and speeds up while Thor flexes every muscle in his body, stiff like a poker. Loki drives the motorbike safely, apparently he knows exactly what he is doing.

"Where are we heading to?" Thor shouts, but he doesn’t get an answer. Uncomfortably, he tries to stretch a leg.

They continue driving for long minutes, Thor’s long hair flying in the wind underneath the helmet. Eventually, he relaxes a bit but he doesn’t let go of Loki. Instead, he focusses on his hands and arms, wrapped tightly around Loki’s slim frame.

And suddenly, Thor starts to enjoy their ride. He moves his hands, just to pull Loki closer a tiny bit.

"I know what you are doing!" Loki chuckles breathlessly, increasing their pace. Thor smiles, gently stroking Loki’s flank, taking advantage that Loki has to use his own hands for another purpose and cannot fight him.

The street in front of them becomes narrower and they are approaching another castle. To Thor’s surprise, Loki doesn’t stop there but chooses a rather small path nearby where he eventually stops the motorbike.

Reluctantly, Thor moves his hands away when Loki climbs from the motorbike. "Where are we?" Thor asks, disappointed that they are not continuing their ride because he got used to clinging to Loki.

"We’ll have to take a little walk,“ Loki says, „you can leave your helmet here.“ He snaps his fingers and the motorbike is disguised. Instead, Loki holds something akin to a picnic basket in his hand.

Speechless, Thor follows him, walking a narrow path, until they finally reach an ancient ruin that must have been a castle a long time ago. "Castle Schlössel," Loki confirms, "usually nobody comes here so we are most likely alone for the next hours."

Thor can hear that he murmurs a spell and he is quite sure that they are indeed going to be undisturbed for as long as Loki wants them to be alone.

"It’s …beautiful,“ Thor stammers, „and you are a good driver."

Loki smiles at him. "You trusted me, didn’t you?" he asks.

"Yes. Yes, I did." Thor replies honestly.

Loki walks over to a wooden bench with a table. He opens his basket and pulls a tablecloth out of it, followed by plates, cutlery, wine, bread, fruits and cheese. It’s impossible that the entire meal fitted into the basket and Thor is once again deeply impressed by Loki’s magic skills.

"Frigga taught you a lot," Thor states when he sits down opposite to Loki.

Loki shrugs, hints of painful memories showing on his face. "Are you hungry?" he asks instead, offering some cheese to Thor who eats with great appetite. Once Thor has stilled his hunger - _well, one of his hungers_ \- they start to exchange deep glances.

"This is a wonderful place," Thor whispers, gazing around and into the sky. "So peaceful."

Loki looks right back at him, looks straight into his soul, before he suddenly stands up. Thor is afraid that their meeting - _date?_ \- is already over but Loki takes his magic basket and conjures a cozy blanket that he spreads on the ground. "Do you want to join me?" he asks, laying down.

Thor is on his feet in no time, sprawling his limbs on the blanket.

Loki props himself up on an elbow. "Now let’s be honest, Thor Odinson," he asks, "where exactly do you feel pain?"

Thor sighs. He knew that he can’t fool Loki, stunned that he didn’t say anything when he checked on him before they visited the Trifels. "My left leg," he mutters.

Loki doesn’t say anything, he just bends over him, his hands moving over Thor’s thigh, down to his knee and to his ankle. "How were you even able to walk without limping?" Loki questions.

Thor stares into the open sky. "I didn’t want to ruin the mood," he admits sheepishly. "I was so excited to see you again," he adds, and then he tells Loki everything. The words come like a crushing wave and he cannot stop them from tumbling out of his mouth. "I live for our meetings, Loki, they carry me through those endless days and nights, fighting intruders and enemies. I’m so tired and all I can think of is to see you again, simply to be together with you. I know that I wasn’t fair to you in the past, I know what father did to you but can’t we move on? Can’t we have another chance? To start anew?"

He doesn’t expect an answer but he feels relief that he got rid of his feelings. That he finally told Loki the truth.

Loki takes Thor’s ankle in his hands, looking at him with an unreadable face. "Deep breaths," he says, "I’m trying to be gentle but this is going to hurt." Briefly, Thor thinks that he isn’t even talking about fixing his ankle, but every reasonable thought is blown into the wind when Loki moves Thor’s foot. Thor lets out a sharp scream that dies away in the trees surrounding them.

"I’m sorry," Loki whispers softly and it’s the first time ever he apologizes to Thor. "It will get better soon. Everything will get better soon." Carefully, he takes Thor’s hand, entangling their fingers. They look into the sky above them, both quiet, until Loki clears his throat. "We should go back. I’ll help you."

Thor tries to stand up, groaning when he puts weight upon his leg. However, he feels that his ankle will heal soon, thanks to Loki’s help. He takes a first careful step but his leg doesn’t hurt as bad as he feared it would. Thor doesn’t protest though when Loki wraps his arm around his waist, supporting him.

"I have a wish," Thor says through clenched teeth, climbing down the steep way.

Loki stops and looks at him questioningly.

"Today, I want a proper goodbye," Thor says firmly. "I don’t want anyone of us simply disappearing or walking away."

Loki shows a crooked smile. „Agreed," he answers before they continue their way. Thor’s leg gets better with every step and by the time they reach the motorbike again, it doesn’t cause ache any longer.

"Well then," Loki states, "what about a hug?"

Thor takes him into his arms, his hands resting at Loki’s back. He even buries his face on Loki’s shoulder, inhaling his scent, wanting to keep it in his system forever. "Thank you for everything," Thor says, drawing back. He still holds Loki in his arms, looking into his beautiful eyes. Inwardly, he prepares himself to say ‚goodbye' now and so he is completely taken aback when Loki raises his hand, tenderly caressing the stubble on Thor’s cheek.


	6. A mountain so high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, I hope that you will enjoy the next chapter - feedback is precious.

Loki thinks back to their meeting at Castle Trifels and Castle Schlössel every day.

Almost, he kissed Thor. Almost.

He felt Thor’s stubble underneath his fingertips, heard his harsh breathing, saw a lizard eyeing at them. The moment was perfect and yet, he let it pass.

Maybe it was for the better, Loki tries to tell himself, waiting for Thor’s next riddle like a kid waiting for Christmas Eve.

He doesn’t have to wait for long. Five days after they said goodbye in Germany - a proper goodbye! - he receives Thor’s next hints, once again written on a heavy sheet of paper.

_A mountain so high._

_A lake so wonderous._

_A viewpoint so rare._

Loki deciphers Thor’s riddle with the second hint. He heard about Lake Wonder in Alaska, right next to Mount McKinley, although he was never there before. He gets excited immediately because he started to love the wilderness, the forest, the wild animals.

Because he started to love Thor.

Loki gazes out of the little window of his cottage, hidden somewhere between large trees. It’s by far his smallest property but also the one he likes the most. The sunsets are spectacular here and he cherishes the simple but tasty furniture as well as the fact that he doesn’t have any neighbors here.

Still looking outside, Loki muses what Thor planned for them, why he chose Alaska of all places. 24 hours later, he would find out.

***

This time, Loki also doesn’t have to wait for Thor, he’s already there, standing at the viewpoint and gazing over the lake. Loki comes closer with careful steps but Thor doesn’t turn around. He wears dark jeans and a checked shirt, his blond hair tied to a bun.

Loki has to close his eyes and to take a deep breath, trying to forget about the raging desire inside him. "You chose a wonderful place," he says, stepping at Thor’s side who still doesn’t look at him.

"It is so peaceful here," Thor says, voice heavy. Finally, he turns to Loki. "I’m tired of all the fighting."

"Did you get into another quarrel since we last met?" Loki asks. "Any wounds I should know of?"

Thor laughs bitterly. "No physical wounds, no," he states and then, there is silence again until Thor starts to speak. "Come on, I want to show you something."

Loki follows Thor to the shore of the lake and to an old rowing boat, entirely made of wood. Two paddles lie inside. Loki gazes at the boat, looking at Thor questioningly. "Don’t worry, I will do the work," Thor murmurs, climbing into the boat and taking the paddles. Warily, Loki climbs into the boat as well, sitting down on a simple bench. With powerful strokes, Thor rows them to the middle of the lake without further ado, the archaic work a sharp contrast to their motorbike ride a few days ago.

With more silence between them, Loki gets uncomfortable, and he tries to joke. "Is this going to be a demonstration of your strength?" he says, immediately regretting it because Thor puts away the paddles, heaving them into the boat.

"No," Thor replies quietly. "I just wanted to try and find a place where you cannot run away from me." He points at the water surrounding them. "Unless you want to go swimming here in the ice-cold water."

Loki briefly thinks that the cold water would probably not do him any harm, but he doesn’t utter it. "Very well," he states, "and why did you do that?"

"Because I need you to listen to me!" Thor exclaims, dampening his voice afterwards. "Because I need you to understand."

"Understand what," Loki murmurs.

"That we were and are fighting each other because we can’t deal with our real feelings," Thor continues, looking over the surface of the lake.

"Which feelings." Loki’s blood runs cold. He’s not sure if he is ready to hear it. If he will ever be ready for this.

"Love," Thor whispers.

"Love?" Loki echoes, "you mean brotherly love?"

Thor snorts. "I am surely not talking about brotherly love." Loki holds one hand into the water that is indeed ice-cold. "Are you already trying to escape?" Thor asks, "you always back out, taking the simple road." He starts to get angry, staring at Loki. "Every time I try to talk to you, you would stop listening to me rather sooner than later."

"Thor, I don’t think that this is…" Loki tries, rubbing his temples.

"Oh, are you thinking about another magic spell? To make me stop?" Thor quietly takes the paddles into his hands and Loki sighs relieved. Yet, Thor doesn’t show any intention to bring them back to the shore. Instead, he throws the paddles out of the boat where they disappear in the water, sinking down quickly to the ground of the lake.

"What did you just do!" Loki accuses him. He frantically thinks about a trick to bring the paddles back, but he is too mixed up to perform one.

Thor stands up and the boat rocks back and forth dangerously. With a firm grip, Thor grabs Loki’s collar and pulls him upwards as well. "Will you finally listen and talk to me!" he hisses. He stares into Loki’s eyes and Loki gets lost in his fierce gaze, gets lost in his feelings.

"Loki, I lo…" Thor starts and Loki doesn’t want to hear it. He cannot hear it, because the mere thought of what Thor is about to say shakes him to the core. And so he does the next best thing to shut Thor up, pressing his lips onto Thor’s in a first, raw kiss.

***

Thor tastes incredible. What was meant as a clumsy attempt to stop Thor from talking soon turns into one of the best ideas Loki ever had. Cautiously, Thor parts his lips, holding Loki in a firm embrace, waiting.

Loki takes the invitation, his tongue finding its way into Thor’s mouth. He hears a muffled moan when their tongues find each other. Thor’s slow pace nearly kills him because Thor takes his time, he’s so soft and tender in Loki’s mouth, so gentle and loving when Loki teases him playfully.

While their kiss gets more heated, hands searching for a way under clothes and fastenings, the boat starts to sway. Loki notices it first, making an unintelligible sound, but it’s already too late. Like in slow-motion, the boat starts to tilt and Loki murmurs a spell to protect them from falling, but suddenly he is high up in the air.

Loki gasps, Thor’s red carpet wrapped around his shoulders protectively. Thor holds him tightly with one arm, while his other hand has a grip on Mjolnir. With a shiver, Loki looks into Thor’s eyes, seeing the entire world there. He involuntarily snuggles closer into Thor’s one-handed embrace, clinging to him.

He always wanted to fly with Thor but he never dared to ask. It’s different not to spiral through the air in the shape of a bird but in his body. And it’s overwhelming to do it together with Thor.

Thor doesn’t hurry to bring them back, he flies a small loop, straight over the forests. "Look, there’s a grizzly," he whispers into Loki’s ear but Loki doesn’t have an eye for the wild animals with Thor still so close.

Eventually, Thor lands on a small clearing but he doesn’t let go of Loki there. Instead, he puts Mjolnir to the ground and embraces Loki, his cape fluttering, before he holds Loki’s face in his hands.  
  
For a short moment, Loki fears that Thor repeats what he tried to say earlier. However, Thor simply kisses him again. And his tongue tells Loki the same message, just without any spoken word.


	7. My cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, I’m sorry that this update took longer than planned. I hope that you like the outcome! :-)

_My cottage._

_Just a short flight._

_Bring us there. Please._

Thor hears Loki’s urgently whispered words with a beating heart, their first kisses completely overwhelming him. He dreamt for a long time to kiss Loki but his imagination wasn’t half as good as the reality is.

Carefully, Thor searches for Loki’s lips again, with a tenderness he himself is surprised of. Loki however clings to him and repeats his words. "Bring us there. Please."

Thor smiles, finally understanding that Loki gave him the next three hints. Only that there is nothing left they have to conceal.

Or maybe just one thing.

Thor lets out a deep growl and presses Loki close to him before he takes Mjolnir and brings them back into the air. He doesn’t ask for the direction, he follows his instincts, completely sure that Loki will guide them.

It’s a rather short flight for the measure of Gods but Thor enjoys every second to the fullest, Loki in his embrace, his scent still on Thor’s lips. Eventually, Loki gazes down at a thick forest, giving Thor just the slightest nod with his head.

They descend quickly, reaching the ground with a dull sound, mainly caused by Mjolnir’s weight because Thor still holds Loki as they sink into another kiss. A kiss that is not only a first approach, but also an outlook of what is to come. Here, in this night.

"You own many properties on Earth, don’t you," Thor breathes against Loki’s flushed cheek. "I want to visit all of them."

Loki chuckles breathlessly while he opens the door to the cottage he left just a few hours ago. "I’m glad that Canada is so close to Alaska. I love flying with you but…" his voice trails off, not giving away more for the moment. Instead, he invites Thor inside.

"I heard that the Rocky Mountains are special," Thor says, gazing around. "But I didn’t know that they are _that_ special." He looks Loki deep in the eyes, tossing away his jacket and revealing his tight shirt.

"Shall I… start a fire?" Loki stammers, clearly taken aback by the sight he gets.

"Yes, that would be amazing." Thor sits down on the couch, his gaze traveling hungrily over Loki’s slim body as he staples logs. Loki doesn’t use a lighter to start the fire though, just a small snap with his fingers does the trick. Soon, the flames spread and the air warms up, much to Thor’s delight.

He doesn’t know why he is so confident all of a sudden with Loki standing right next to him, apparently shaken to his core. All he knows is that he has to take the lead.  
  
"Your cottage is very cosy," Thor says, slumping down on the sofa opposite to the fireplace. "Did you buy the furniture yourself?"

"Yes… no…" Loki murmurs. He still stares at the flames before he turns around slowly. "What… are we doing here?" he whispers, eyes roaming over Thor’s broad chest.

"Nothing that you don’t want to do," Thor answers simply.

Loki finally smiles and comes closer, sitting down right next to Thor. After a second of hesitation, he snuggles into his embrace.

"You need time, don’t you," Thor asks him softly, hand stroking over Loki’s hair. "We’ll take it slow."

Loki gazes at Thor, about to say something, but he kisses Thor instead. There’s despair in Loki’s kiss but also long hidden passion, an all-consuming desire. Thor lets Loki take control of the kiss, responding to his touches that become more and more urgent.

"It’s fine," Thor whispers, "everything is fine." He takes Loki’s face into his hands and kisses him back, suppressing a moan when he feels that Loki’s fingers slip underneath his shirt. Bare skin touches bare skin while Loki explores Thor’s abs, the valleys and hills of his muscles. "You’re doing… _things_ to me," Thor finally gasps.

Loki intensifies the kiss and nudges Thor backwards, halfway crawling over him. His fingers are now buried in Thor’s hair but Thor turns both of them around with a swift move, covering Loki’s body instead. Loki pants, Thor’s weight pressing him into the bolsters, but Thor tries to be gentle, even when he starts to kiss Loki’s throat. "May I remove that," he asks, tugging at Loki’s shirt. Taking the next breath, the shirt is miraculously gone, Loki lying on the sofa trembling and so, so vulnerable.

"I won’t do you any harm," Thor promises against Loki’s pale skin, kissing his way down to Loki’s nipples and indulging them with his tongue. He can feel that Loki squirms, that his nipples harden, and he doesn’t stop. He continues to caress Loki until he hears the first, astonishingly shy moan, before he moves deeper.

The sight of the fine line of dark hair that starts underneath Loki’s belly button sends a wave of arousal straight to Thor’s own groin. He grabs the waistband of Loki’s pants and glimpses up at him, catching Loki’s strangled "yes" just in time.

Thor pushes Loki’s dark black pants down, careful to not remove his briefs. There’s a bulge, clearly giving away what Loki desires. His breath comes ragged now, hands clutching to some cushions nearby.

Thor crawls closer, much closer, until his breath ghosts over the hardness in Loki’s briefs, making him whimper. "Thor," Loki whispers, hesitating for a second. Then, he snaps his fingers again - and is completely naked.

"By the seven realms," Thor pants, "you are so beautiful."

Loki squirms and Thor senses that he has a hard time to present himself to Thor so openly, without any cover or any mask. With a brisk motion, Thor tosses away his own shirt, noticing with satisfaction that Loki apparently likes what he sees.

"Here we go," Thor breathes, lips almost touching Loki’s dick, "I’ll make you feel good, I promise."

Thor doesn’t have much experience with other men but he’s determined to proof all of his skills to Loki, to send him into an ecstasy he never felt before. Just with the hint of a contact, he licks Loki’s entire length, tasting him on his tongue. He tries the upper side, then the back of Loki’s gorgeous dick, licking over the vein there.

"Thor, that’s…" Loki moans, voice dying away. He gazes down at Thor, swallowing visibly.

"Do you want me to take all of you?" Thor rasps, glimpsing at Loki through his eyelashes. Loki’s dick twitches in response and before Loki can say anything, Thor takes him into his mouth. Loki nearly jumps from the mattress, hips stuttering against his will. Thor steadies them with his hands because he doesn’t want this to end too soon.

"Let me do the work," Thor murmurs, kissing the tip of Loki’s dick, letting it glide into his mouth again. He sucks gently at the length, still holding Loki’s hips. He knows that his pace is pure torture, that Loki needs more, so much more.

One by one, Thor can sense that Loki’s defenses are breaking. The tension leaves his body, making way for something entirely different. Slowly but steadily, he gives in to Thor, to his touches and caresses. To his love.

"I won’t let you go," Thor whispers between his strokes and his licks, "and I won’t let you down."

Loki’s restless hands find Thor’s thick hair, stroking feverishly over the strands. "More, Thor," he begs, "don’t stop here. Don’t stop ever."

Enwrapping Loki’s dick in his mouth, Thor gets him off in earnest. He sucks at him, his tongue swirling over the sensitive tip while his hand finds Loki’s balls. Impossible as it seems, Loki grows even harder, hips starting to move again. This time, Thor lets them, he doesn’t even stop when he hears Loki’s strangled warning.

He wants this, he wants this more than anything else. One last time, Thor increases his speed, swallowing Loki, until he can sense a wave rolling through Loki’s body, a wave that crashes over him. With a loud moan, Loki comes hard in Thor’s mouth, giving him everything that he has. The contractions hold on for a long time with Thor not willing to release Loki, not at all.

Finally, when it’s over, Thor kisses his way back over Loki’s limp body. He’s astonished how satisfied Loki is, pure bliss dripping out of his every pore. Tenderly, Thor pulls Loki into his arms, holding him.  
  
"Nothing will ever be the same again," Loki whispers.  
  
"Do you regret it?" Thor murmurs, peppering sloppy kisses over Loki’s arm.

"Not the slightest," Loki grins, his hand disappearing under the blanket. "Sorry, I forgot something," he adds, his fingers finding Thor’s hardness through his pants. Thor exhales a sharp, needy breath while Loki strips his briefs and pants down, wrappping his hand around him with so much gentleness that Thor’s heart melts.

"Thor Odinson," Loki whispers, moving his hand just with the right pace and pressure, "you’re quite impressive."

Thor lets out a mewl because Loki twists his hand now so very deliciously.

"Do you like that?" Loki’s thumb glides over Thor’s tip and he closes his eyes in pleasure.

"Yes. Very much," Thor pants, his dick just so fucking perfect in Loki’s hand. He sighs when Loki captures his lips in another kiss, letting go of everything. The double stimulation, Loki’s tongue in his mouth and his hand on Thor’s dick brings Thor close to the edge in record time. "Loki," he moans and he isn’t even embarrassed that he didn’t last long.

Thor is almost silent when he comes, straight into Loki’s hand who kisses him deeply. For a few moments, Thor cannot form a coherent thought and he just clings to Loki with all that he has. To Loki who is still shaking. Thor wonders why, before he hears the words he thought he would never hear.

"I love you, Thor."


	8. The scent of the roses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, I’m sorry for the delayed update! But as promised, I will finish this story. Please enjoy this chapter, feedback would be pure bliss!

"I love you too, Loki."

Loki is halfway out of his mind when he hears his own love confession - and when he listens to Thor’s. They reached a point in their relationship he never thought they would reach ever in a million years. And he cannot help to be ridiculously happy about it.

Thor smiles at him like Loki never saw him smiling. Moments later, they are kissing. This time, the kiss is a promise and a seal. Loki knows that the road in front of them is still rocky, but for once, he thinks that there is really a chance for them.

"Can we have a shower? Like… together?" Thor looks sheepishly at Loki, pointing at their sticky skin.

Loki smiles back and snaps his fingers so that both of them are finally entirely naked. "What are we waiting for?" he asks, nodding into the direction of the bathroom door.

The shower stall there is rather small, but they don’t mind the slightest. In fact, Loki forgets about everything else around him when Thor wraps his strong hand around both of their dicks in silent agreement. But just when he is about to come, Loki drops down on his knees all of a sudden, and takes Thor in his mouth.

The surprised cry that rings in his ears is delicate, to say the least. Loki tries to take all of Thor, his entire gorgeous length, spurred on by Thor’s breathless moans. He can sense the exact moment Thor comes, swallowing him deep down in his throat.

"Loki!“ Thor exclaims in ecstasy, his knees buckling. "Loki, what did you just do…" Thor’s words come in heavy pants. "You’re… amazing."

Eyes never leaving Thor’s blissed-out face, Loki carefully stands up. He gasps astonished but doesn’t protest when Thor lifts him from the ground and takes him into his arms, carrying him to the bedroom. There, Thor places Loki gently onto the mattress, bending over him afterwards. "You’ll get that back. Now." Thor whispers against Loki’s belly, moving lower while Loki holds his breath in anticipation. However, Thor doesn’t take Loki’s rock-hard dick into his mouth.

Loki whimpers helplessly when he understands what Thor wants to do instead, when Thor lifts his legs over his shoulders, searching for that one spot that is so sensitive. "Oh my goodness," Loki moans, biting into a cushion nearby when Thor’s tongue touches that tender ring of muscles for the first time.

Thor takes his time to explore Loki’s most secret part, his stubble scratching deliciously over Loki’s thighs. "You like that, don’t you," Thor murmurs before he pushes his tongue inside. 

Loki comes right at the spot. The sight of Thor kneeling between his bent legs sends him over the edge so thoroughly that he can only let out an ardent moan before his limbs turn into jelly.

Thor crawls back to Loki’s side with a smug grin upon his face. "I know that we will do next," he rasps into Loki’s ear, "and I know where."

Loki can only lift an eyebrow, as spent out as he is. "Your entire skin smells of your roses," Thor breathes, "and I want to know where those roses grow. Take me to that place, Loki. Please."

***

As if it is the most natural thing in the world, Thor takes Loki into his arms after that plea and closes his eyes, eventually dozing off. Careful to not wake him up, Loki turns around and watches him.

Thor is beautiful, strong and athletic, yet he looks so young and vulnerable in his sleep. A hot wave of love and desire shoots through Loki and he hurries to get up. He manifests a pencil and a note, writing the next hint onto the paper.

_La Dolce Vita._

_S.P.Q.R._

_Watch out for 9,25 meters._

***

Loki doesn’t doubt for a second that Thor will find him in Italy, in Rome, to be precise, directly at the Obelisco Pinciano which is exactly 9,25 meters high. His villa is just around the corner and he heads to his property now to prepare everything for Thor’s arrival.

For Loki, it is crystal clear that he will sleep with Thor for the first time there. And that is something that he wanted for decades.

With the help of some magic, Loki tidies his house, puts fresh sheets on his bed and showers rose petals all over the floor. He’s probably hopelessly romantic but he couldn’t care less. Thor’s tongue inside him was such a promising start that Loki’s entire body tingles with anticipation.

Loki slept with men before but he’s well-aware that he never slept with a man he truly loves. The thought scares him a bit but by far not enough to back out.

Strolling through his beloved garden, Loki tries to understand what happened to them during the last weeks. He always knew that there is a special bond between him and Thor, a bond that is stronger than simple brotherly love could ever be.

And finally, they gave in to their feelings, both of them. Loki admires Thor for his idea of giving each other three hints to meet. They are still playing with each other, although the feelings between them are dead-serious by now.

Sitting on a bench in his garden, Loki lets the sun warm his skin and his face. Yet suddenly, the sky grows darker, black even, and Loki blinks confused - just to see Thor spiraling down to the ground with Mjolnir in his hand.

"How… did you find me?" Loki stammers, "I thought we would meet tomorrow, I thought that you would come to the Obelisco…"

"The roses," Thor says huskily, "the scent of the roses guided me. And my desire."

He pulls Loki into his embrace rather roughly. "I need you, Loki, you have no idea how much I need you." Thor wraps his arm around Loki’s hips and swings Mjolnir, bringing them high up into the air, landing on the balcony of Loki’s bedroom afterwards.

Thor kisses Loki senseless with the first move he makes. Through his tight pants, Loki can feel Thor’s hardness and he is sure that he will die straight away if he can’t feel Thor as close as possible within his next heartbeats. "Get inside," Loki murmurs ambiguously, tugging Thor into his bedroom. Thor’s long blond hair flies in the breezes that comes from outside and Loki just wants him, wants him so badly.

With one swift move, Thor tears Loki’s black shirt open, the buttons flying into every direction. "Oh fuck, Thor," Loki pants, stepping backwards until he senses the mattress behind him.  
  
"Lay down," Thor whispers, standing in front of the bed like the personified seduction. Loki obeys, eyes glued to Thor who starts to strip for him, slowly but thoroughly. First, he looses his shirt, revealing his toned chest, then he steps out of his pants, doing nothing to cover the bulge in his briefs.

Then, he pulls at the waistband of his briefs, moves them lower, finally letting Loki witness his arousal. Loki cannot help but to stare at Thor’s gorgeous dick. He briefly closes his eyes to focus before he manifests a bottle of lube on the nightstand. Because he is at it, he also conjures his remaining clothes away in one go.

"Take the lube," he croaks out, "take me. Take everything."

Thor growls and crawls over Loki, covering him, pressing him into the mattress with all of his weight. Thor is everywhere, in Loki’s nose, in his ear, occupying each and every sense.

"Turn around," Thor orders. Secretly, Loki longs for Thor to take him while they have eye contact, while they can kiss, but he lays on his belly. At the moment, he would do everything Thor wants just to finally feel him as a part of his body.

But Thor apparently doesn’t want to take Loki straight away, he starts to stroke and to knead his back. "I need you to be relaxed, darling," Thor whispers into Loki’s ear and Loki shivers, in equal parts from the gentle caress and from the unexpected nickname. Thor’s hands can be so gentle, Loki thinks, while he pants into the sheets, especially when Thor starts to make good use of his tongue as well.

Both his fingers and his tongue trail down Loki’s spine, to his tailbone, where Thor spreads Loki’s butt cheeks with his hands and indulges him with his tongue at the same time.

"Lube, Thor,"Loki groans, "get the lube. Please!"

"Shhh. Be patient," Thor answers, working Loki open with the tip of his tongue.

"I’m ready!" Loki pretends, begging Thor to come closer.

Thor chuckles softly against the sensitive skin on Loki’s butt. "You’re not, darling," he breathes before he eventually takes the lube. "But you will be ready soon."

Loki moans frustrated, listening to the sound of the lube being poured into Thor’s palm. He flinches when he senses the cool liquid, forcing himself to relax. "See, you need some time," Thor whispers, kneading Loki’s butt cheeks with his hand while he tries to push a finger of his other hand inside.

"I… oh, Thor!"Loki moans with Thor breaching him, filling that emptiness inside him.

Loki cannot say anything else because Thor starts to move the finger, in and out, finding that incredible spot just with the second push. He wriggles and squirms, panting incoherent words like "more" and "deeper". There’s a cry in the air Loki himself isn’t quite sure where it came from when Thor pushes the second finger through, stroking Loki from the inside.

It’s sweet torture, Loki wants more and yet, it still isn’t enough. With Thor pushing a third finger inside, Loki inhales a shaky sob. He’s so tender inside, every spot that Thor caresses so sensitive.

And then, he’s ready. He can feel it with every cell of his body and obviously, Thor can feel it too. "Turn on your back," he says gently, hooking Loki’s legs over his shoulders. He sinks down on him and kisses him deeply, intimately. It feels incredible to be pressed down by Thor’s weight, to feel his skin, his arousal.

"Come here, my love," Thor whispers, taking his dick into his hand and guiding it to Loki’s prepared hole. Loki clings to Thor with everything that he has, hands and arms and legs and feet. It’s as if he is guiding Thor home, to the place he belongs to.

"I love you so much," Thor breathes, holding on for a moment to look into Loki’s eyes, before he moves his strong hips. It’s difficult at first although Loki tries to open up as much as possible, but the sheer meaning of their love-making lets him tense.

Thor however knows exactly what he is doing, he takes his time, nudging against Loki every now and then just to let Loki feel him. "Thor," Loki whispers, taking a deep breath. "I love you too." Thor gazes at him before he makes his move, pushing his hips forward, pushing everything that he has to offer inside.

Loki sobs heavily, not caring about the tears that roll down his cheeks. There are no words for the emotions he feels inside. There’s so much longing, there’s regret that they haven’t done this earlier, there’s physical pain and burning arousal. Thor is big and pulsing, filling Loki until he has barely air in his lungs left.

"I have you, darling," Thor whispers, tenderly circling his hips, "you are so amazing. I can feel you all around me. So tight and precious." Thor’s seductive voice shoots straight into Loki’s groin and he responds to Thor’s movements.

"I have never been so… full," Loki whispers, slowly getting used to Thor’s gorgeous length.

"And I hope that you have never been so loved," Thor retorts, starting to move in and out.

They fall into a soft rhythm, bodies completing each other. There’s a mess of tongues and sweaty hands, of pushes and thrusts that become more urgent soon. Thor senses that Loki melts more and more against him and varies his motions.

"Thor," Loki moans when he hits that special spot just so perfectly. He doesn’t say anything else, the simple groan enough for Thor to understand that he has to repeat this kind of thrust.

Loki lets go of his surrounding, he just feels Thor’s skin, Thor’s dick, and adapts to him. He can feel that he will soon have the most vehement orgasm that he ever had, an orgasm that would nearly rip him apart.

Thor propped himself up on his arms in the meantime, slowing down his pace again. "Come for me, Loki," he breathes, thrusting back in deeply.

"Again!" Loki begs, sensing that he would need just another one of those incredible pushes to forget everything else around him. There’s already that tingling sensation in his entire groin, ready to capture his every cell.

Thor bends over Loki and kisses him, holding him on the edge, before he finally thrusts into Loki again, brushing over that one special spot. Loki shakes in his embrace and comes, wave after wave of pleasure crashing over him. He comes around Thor’s dick, in his arms, pressed tightly against him.

He never felt so safe and protected before, so wanted and loved.

The contractions become more shallow only slowly and Loki encourages Thor to stay inside him. He wants Thor to come, to mark him. Stroking over Thor’s butt, he pushes him in even deeper, as deep as he is able to.

To his surprise, Thor comes immediately. He sobs against Loki’s shoulders and shivers heavily, moaning Loki’s name several times. Loki can feel Thor’s ecstasy deep inside him and he holds him tight, stroking his hair. Still entangled with Loki, Thor whispers the next hint straight into Loki’s ear.

_Can we._

_Just._

_Stay._


	9. Stay with me.

"Of course we can stay here, Thor," Loki whispers. "But you have to be precise. Do you want to stay here in my villa? Or in bed with me?"

"In bed with you," Thor pants, carefully pulling out. "I think I’m already addicted to making love to you."

Loki chuckles pleased. "Then do it again, God of Thunder," he rasps, "I know that you have a lot of stamina, don’t you?"

"You bet I have," Thor whispers, covering Loki’s body for the second time.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
They spend the entire day in bed with Loki conjuring food and drinks whenever they need a break or get hungry. He lets plates of fruits and vegetables appear, feeding Thor with strawberries and grapes.

Eventually, after what must have been the sixth time of feeling Thor inside in almost every possible position, Loki’s desire seems to be satisfied for the moment.

"Come on, get up," he says, "I want to show you something." Completely naked, Loki stands up and opens the doors to his balcony, letting the bright sunlight in.

Thor steps closer to him, embracing him from behind.

"That’s all mine," Loki explains, pointing at the huge garden with the roses. "And I have many other properties all around Midgard as you might have noticed."

Thor nods, kissing Loki’s neck.

"But I have thought of something." Loki continues. "I like all of the places where I own a house or a cottage. Yet I never felt at home there."

Thor remains silent, waiting for Loki to go on, just holding him close.

Slowly, Loki turns around, swallowing. "I never thought that I would say that but…", he hesitates, looking Thor into the eyes. "I think I have to return to Asgard. Together with you."

Letting out a sob, Thor takes Loki’s face into his hands and kisses him, thoroughly and tenderly. "I thought you would never say that," he says rawly, "but yes, that is where you belong to. To Asgard, Loki."

Loki nods quietly and embraces Thor. "It won’t be easy, I warn you. I’m still the God of Mischief."

Thor smiles. "I wouldn’t want it any other way. Although…" He closes his eyes and lets the thought sink into his mind. "I want it the other way now."

Loki frowns. "You’re speaking in riddles, darling."

"Isn’t that what we were doing all of the time?" Thor murmurs. „But I want to be honest with you. I want to give you the ultimate opportunity to show to me that I can trust you."

"And that is?" Loki clearly didn’t get Thor’s intention.

"Take me, Loki," Thor breathes. "Make me yours."  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
Minutes later, they lay on the bed again, not caring about the crumpled sheets. "Are you sure?" Loki asks Thor for the umpteenth time.

"Of course," Thor replies, ignoring his own shaking voice. "But there’s something else that you should know before."

Loki raises his eyebrow like only he can do.

"You’re my first, Loki of Asgard," Thor admits, blushing.

"Wait," Loki starts, "do you want to tell me that you never had…"

"…a man making love to me this way, yes." Thor finishes for him.

A slight ray of insecurity darts over Loki’s face but it is gone soon. "I make it good for you, Thor", he whispers.

"I don’t have any doubts," Thor answers solemnly, "but I don’t want you to perform any magic. Let me feel you the way you really are."

"I promise," Loki replies before he straddles Thor, taking both of Thor's arms and pinning them onto the mattress behind Thor's head. "Let me take the lead," Loki rasps, "trust me. You have to trust me, Thor."

Thor nods, already hard against Loki’s body. He lets his arms where they are even when Loki releases them to kiss a trail over Thor’s chest to his nipples, indulging them with his tongue and teeth. Loki finds just the right way, never really biting Thor.

It’s good that they are still naked, Thor thinks, his dick growing harder and harder while Loki moves downwards. "So many scars," Loki whispers, caressing each and every one of them. "And look what we have here."

Waiting just a tiny second, a second that lets Thor groan, Loki kisses Thor’s dick, taking him deep into his mouth. Loki is a master and Thor tries not to be jealous of all the men Loki must have had before him.

As if Loki read his thoughts - and probably he did - he says: "They are not important any more. You are." Thor sighs and shivers, holding his breath while Loki works magic with his tongue. "Thor," Loki breathes against him, "do you mind if I conjure some lube. It would really break the mood to leave you and search for some."

"Don’t go!" is all that Thor can groan, the thought of Loki leaving him now impossible.

In the next moment, Loki’s fingers are coated in a fragrant liquid, a liquid that smells of roses.

Loki kisses Thor’s dick again but he makes good use of his fingers too, moving them between Thor’s butt cheeks calmly.

A shudder runs through Thor’s body when Loki slides the first finger inside, followed by a second while Loki pushes against a particular spot. There’s a new kind of arousal in Thor because Loki finds just the right balance to spread Thor open without really causing him any pain. Finally, Thor doesn’t want to wait any longer. "I’m ready," he pants.

"Do you trust me?" Loki whispers, stilling his fingers.

"I do." Thor almost doesn’t have the patience to say these words.

"That’s good. Because you’re not ready yet, darling."

Thor hisses in frustration but he can’t form a clear thought when Loki pulls his fingers out just to replace them with his tongue. His tongue, everywhere, outside, inside, pushing, licking. Thor lets out moan after moan, not caring about how loud he is. He is sure that Loki will use some sort of magic if someone could hear them. Shortly before Thor loses it from the immense pleasure that he feels, Loki draws back.

"What!" Thor complains, breath harsh.

Loki winks at him mischievously. "Now you’re ready," he simply states.

"Then do something," Thor begs, stretching his hands over his head again. "I’m all yours."

Gently, Loki covers Thor’s body, kissing him. "Remember to keep breathing, darling," he whispers, "and just let go of everything. Don’t think. I need you to give yourself to me."

Thor can only nod, pressing a fierce kiss upon Loki’s lips.

Loki who moves closer now, using his hand to bring himself into position.

There’s a long moment of complete silence, of unspoken words. Thor is sure that he can hear Loki in his mind instead.

_Don’t be scared._

_Just breathe through the first pain._

_I will be gentle._

_I love you._

Thor cannot answer but he’s sure that he doesn’t have to. Instead, he feels. He feels Loki pushing against him, steadily, until Thor is so wide that Loki pushes inside. Loki kisses the surprised cry from Thor’s lips, he kisses him through the waves of ache, keeping Thor together until he starts to feel sheer pleasure. Only then, Loki starts to move.

Being astonished how good Loki feels inside him, Thor soon meets his thrusts, hips clashing against hips. Their pace becomes faster, their pushes deeper and Thor notices satisfied that Loki comes undone above him. It’s one of the best sights he ever got.

For a long time, Thor is sure that Loki would come before him, but he doesn’t care. Not until he hears the voice in his mind again.

_You have to give yourself completely to me._

_Trust me._

_Thor, please trust me._

Thor closes his eyes and tries to focus on his body, on the things that Loki is doing to him. He stops thinking about everything else, concentrating on their ecstasy, their desire. And out of the blue, with a well-placed thrust, Thor comes while Loki is still inside him.

He cries out Loki’s name, noticing only dimly that Loki comes too. They are a panting heap in the aftermath of their orgasms, two Gods intertwined, two souls deeply in love.

And when Loki pulls out of Thor, leaving an emptiness behind that will be filled soon again, Thor is sure, everything finally falls into place.

Falls and falls until it is fixed again.


	10. Asgard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, 
> 
> thank you for going on this journey with me. Here’s the epilogue to Thor’s and Loki’s adventure. We all know who will be the real ruler over Asgard, don’t we? ;-)

_Epilogue  
  
_

Loki and Thor stay in the villa for over a month, time not mattering to them anymore.  
  
But when the day is finally there, they both feel it.

After another round of love-making, after Thor possessing Loki and Loki possessing Thor, it’s Loki who speaks out the first hint, the first hint of their last riddle.

"It’s time," he whispers, playing with a strand of Thor’s blond hair.

Thor smiles, knowing. "To return…," he answers, eyes closed.

…"home." Loki finishes for him.  
  
  
  
***  
  
  
  
They are in no hurry while traveling. Loki owning properties all around Midgard finally pays off like never before.

They stop in Chile again and in Alaska, they spend days in various countries in America and Asia, loving each other in the cold of the Rocky Mountains and in the warmth of Vietnam.

Eventually, they are there.

"Are you ready?" Thor asks, wrapping an arm around Loki’s waist.

"As ready as I can be," Loki murmurs and when he’s shaking, Thor pretends that he doesn’t notice it.

Step by step, they enter New Asgard, catching the entire population by surprise.

Frist, they can hear whispered words, then people shouting: "He’s back! They are both back!"

Like two magnets, Thor and Loki attract men and women, teens and toddlers, all following them on their way to the throne.

Neither Thor nor Loki have spoken about their heritage; who is going be their new leader. They walk side by side and only slow down when they stand in front of the throne. A throne Thor never wanted. A throne that meant everything to Loki.

However, when they approach the stairs that lead upwards to the place where their leader should sit, Loki kneels.

He kneels down in front of a shocked Thor who is pulling at his hand while the Asgardians start to murmur.

"Go and take what is yours, Thor Odinson," Loki whispers through their mental bond.

Like remotely controlled, Thor climbs the steps, seeing from the corner of his eyes that his people kneel as well. He feels tears in his eyes and thinks of Odin before he turns around and speaks to his tribe.

"I haven’t returned alone," Thor eventually says, gazing at Loki. "And I won’t take this throne alone."

Loki shakes his head but Thor continues. "Come here, Loki. My mate."

There’s an all-consuming silence among the people but Thor is sure that most of them don’t trust their ears. "Loki," Thor begs. They lock gazes, the atmosphere electric, until Loki slightly nods.

Yet, he wouldn’t be Loki if he would just walk up the stairs and join his mate. With a snap of his fingers, Loki is gone, just to appear right next to Thor again. Thor pushes him a bit forward, trying to give him the hint that he should speak to the people too.

Loki strengthens his shoulders and takes a deep breath before he opens his arms. "I am Loki of Asgard," he starts, "and I am…" He hesitates for a second before he gently wraps his arm around Thor. "And I am Thor’s mate."

There’s so much power in the air, an aura of two Gods and lovers reunited, when Thor tells his people hand in hand with Loki: "Asgard will shine again."


End file.
